The Heart Wants
by Pretty Persistent
Summary: It felt good to want. But it felt great to be wanted, in return. Emma/Carl.


**A/N: I'm sorry, but this was just begging to be written! I know most Carl stories include a Wemma reunion, as that is what people are interested. But I really hope someone loves this, because I had a great time writing it!**

**Enjoy. (:  
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Emma hoped her therapist stepped up her game soon, because being mysophobic was getting expensive. Her insurance only covered the usual bi-annual teeth cleanings, but Emma insisted on paying out of pocket for two extra visits a year. That was how she had gotten to know Carl Howell.

Three months was still a long time, compared to the fact that she saw Will Schuester every day. In reality, she had known Carl just as long. Emma had been going to the same dentist's office since she began working at William McKinley High School. Carl knew all about her job, too. He would listen to crazy stories about the kids who visited her—all kept anonymous, of course. Her words would be muffled, as he worked on her teeth, but he always laughed, anyway.

Today, Emma had a dentist appointment. She almost considered going, as this visit would not be covered, but Emma had been dealing with enough stress lately and did not need to be worrying about cavities… not that she ever had any.

The work days seemed longer, since she and Will had stopped talking as much. She made a point to eat in the staff lounge, but even that hour was quiet. Her old companions had been Will and Ken and both of those relationships had gone awry. Lately, the most human contact Emma had was with sixteen year old children, who had just been stuffed in a locker. So, as sad as it may have seemed, Emma was relieved, and even a bit excited, to be on her way to the dentist's.

She hated hospitals and doctor's offices, but as a general rule of thumb, Emma quite enjoyed waiting rooms. Of course, she had to endure the stares of other patrons, observing her as she wiped down a chair. Overall, though, they were always cool and quiet… It was almost relaxing.

"Emma Pillsbury?"

Emma snapped her head up from the book she was reading and smiled at the nurse, whom she did not recognized, this time. She was ushered back into a small room and asked to have a seat, but Emma stood in front of the dentist chair and pulled out a disinfectant wipe.

"Um, do you mind if I…?" she asked, hesitantly. Colleen, her usual nurse, already knew of Emma's habits.

"Oh. Uh, sure, I guess," the black-haired woman spoke, slightly thrown off.

Quickly, Emma wiped down the chair and took a seat, relaxing into the head rest. The dentist's office always seemed so clean. Sometime she still worried, though. The nurses never seemed to change their gloves enough—she honestly wished they would, before each new task. And the tools were taken in and out of her mouth a thousand times. But Emma had learned to accept that they were doing nothing unsanitary.

The nurse went through the usual routine—x-rays, cleaning, and fluoride treatment. Emma ran her tongue over top of her teeth, in satisfaction. Any feeling of overt cleanliness could brighten her day, a bit.

"Eileen, you didn't tell me I had the afternoon off!"

"Um, I apologize, but you don't, Dr. Howell. You still have Ms. Pillsbury, here, to look over," the nurse, named Eileen, stated.

Emma giggled. "I think he's implying that it's almost not even worth looking at my teeth, because my oral hygiene is usual, um, pretty good."

"That'd be it!" Carl said, flashing her a smile. He did have a great smile… _'Probably a requirement for dentists,' _Emma figured.

Eileen made her way out of the room, clearly uninterested, and shut the door behind her. Carl pulled on a pair of green gloves, with a snap, and sat down beside her.

"So, catch me up on all the latest high school gossip," Carl said, grinning.

"Oh, it's been pretty dull, lately…" Emma said, trying not to catch her tongue on the sharp object that was currently invading her mouth. The only thing she really had to talk about was the situation with Will, and that was not a topic she wanted to discuss, here.

"That's too bad, because you make my job boring enough, when I have to inspect your already perfect teeth," he teased.

She laughed a little, but flinched as he placed the small mirror inside her mouth. Even though it had only been used on her, it was the same one the nurse had been using, and Emma wished a new one had been employed.

"Alright, I think you're all set!" Carl said, pulling off his gloves and handing Emma a new, pink toothbrush.

"Okay, great, I'll just—"

"Emma, if you don't mind my asking…" Carl said, stopping her. "You come here more than any other patient, and yet, you always seem a little nervous. Why is that?"

"Oh," she said, settling back into the seat she had just been about to leave. "Well, I don't really like… um, germs. So I suppose I get a little leery about everything that's being put in my mouth. I do enjoy the cleaning, though!" Emma grimaced. It was always awkward, explaining her condition to someone, for the first time.

"Let me show you something," he said, putting on a new pair of gloves, which made her smile.

He wheeled over a small, tan machine, next to her. Emma's eyes lit up at the many nozzles and buttons it sported. Carl placed the small mirror under it and sat on the other side.

"Now, this one sprays water and this one sprays disinfectant," he said, pointing at the different parts. Emma leaned over the side of her chair, to get a better look. "And this one puffs out a steady stream of pure oxygen, to dry off. It doesn't even need to be touched!" Emma glanced up, upon his exclamation, and found her face only inches from his, meeting his gaze. Even though she had looked up at him numerous times before, Emma was just noticing how green her dentist's eyes were.

Her eyes flitted back downwards, as Carl began activating the machine's cleaning process. She watched as it worked its magic, meticulously dousing the utensil that had just been covered in her saliva.

The soft, whirring noise ceased and Carl picked it up by its handle, holding the mirror in front of her. "See? Crystal clear." Looking at her reflection, she had to agree that it was, indeed.

Emma stayed sitting up, but leaned back a bit, as Carl did the same.

"Emma, I've always wanted to ask you something," he said.

"Colgate," Emma mused.

"That's cute." Carl laughed, a bit, at her sarcasm, before continuing. "But I was thinking more along the lines of… Dinner? Friday night?"

Emma's sudden wit left, as quickly as it had arrived. Her mouth dropped open, slightly. Had Carl really just asked her out? He said he had _always _wanted to…

"Um, yes." Emma smiled. "I would really like that." She hadn't ever really thought of her dentist in such a light before, but it did feel good to be wanted, for once.

"Great! Then, I'll pick you up at 7:00," he said. "I have your address on file."

Emma giggled, blushing, when he winked.

The week progressed much easier, once Emma had something to look forward to. When Friday came, she had been quite chipper at work, for once, causing Will to ask why she seemed so happy. "Thank God it's Friday," was all she had said to him, not providing any insight as to why.

At 6:45, Emma stood in front of the mirror, taking one last chance to look everything over. Her hair and make was done it's usual fashion, but she wore a plain, purple spaghetti strapped dress, with a black cardigan, and a pair of black pumps. She wasn't very familiar with casual, date attire, but she figured as long as she stayed away from collars and pencil skirts, she would be safe.

Moments later, her doorbell rang. It seemed kind of nice, having a visitor, even though they wouldn't be staying at her condo. They were dining at Breadsticks, tonight. Carl had called earlier in the week, to suggest it, and insisted they go, when he found out she had never been there.

She opened her front door to find him standing there, of course. Fortunately, he was dressed no more up or down, than she was. "Hey, Emma," he said.

"Hi." She smiled at him. "Come in for a second?" It was weird, inviting someone into her home, but she didn't feel uncomfortable about it.

He stepped inside, eyes fleeting about the area. "Wow… You do a great job with this place."

"Thanks," she said, with appreciation. It was only natural, but she did put a lot of hard work into the upkeep of her home. She grabbed her purse, tossing a few more items into it, and then stood beside her date. "Shall we go, then?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, taking her arm and leading them out to the car.

Emma absolutely loved the restaurant. She did not eat out often, but she could tell that the place suited her, quite well. It was just casual enough, without posing the threat of anything being unsanitary or ill-prepared. She did catch Carl chuckling at her, however, when she wiped down her booth, so she made a point to do the same for his side, smirking to herself.

They spent the first few moments of conversation focusing on their orders—Emma decided on a garlic and herb pasta, while Carl chose chicken parmesan. But once Emma had stopped focusing on how miserable it was, being around a few certain co-workers, she had started enjoying her job again, and found she had much more to talk about.

"So, I should probably tell you about the kid they sent to me yesterday morning," she started. "His class had a substitute teacher, and every time the poor lady wasn't paying attention, he was throwing bologna at the ceiling! Apparently, that stuff sticks. But, ugh, that is so gross… It's criminal!" Emma exclaimed.

"I have to say, I even find that disturbing," Carl said, with a disgusted, yet amused, look on his face. "No wonder they sent him to the guidance counselor."

"My kids aren't disturbed. They're just… Okay, yeah!" she said, a laugh escaping her lips.

"It's sweet that you call them your kids," he observed, his eyes smiling at her.

"Well, my job means a lot to me. And sometimes, those kids are all I have."

"You deserve them and everything else you might want, Emma," he said, softly.

Emma blushed, glancing down at the salad in front of her. "That's very nice of you. I'm not sure if I've ever heard that from anybody."

"Well, you should. You're sure gonna hear it from me." He paused, a moment. "I've always had a bit of a crush on you, Emma," he admitted.

Emma looked up again, smiling at him. She had always been the one with the crush—usually a pathetic, hopeless one, at that. No one had ever initiated an interest in her before.

The night continued in such a manner that Emma did not want it to end. She didn't have times like these, very often, especially not recently. It was in Emma's nature to take an interest in people, and she was getting that opportunity again. She was discovering the interesting man, 'Carl,' who had been hiding behind 'Dr. Howell,' this entire time.

They finished dessert and Emma grabbed her purse, standing up. But when she noticed that Carl had not moved, she stopped. "Um, you're not going to…?" she stammered, motioning towards some general direction.

"I might want to pay first, Em," he joked.

"No, I mean… Well, you are a dentist, and all, so I figured you would, um, know to… well, you know… brush your teeth, after every meal." She became flustered, her face growing hot.

He laughed. "When I'm at home, yes. But since you're out, a piece of gum will do."

She settled back into the booth, clutching her purse. "Even though I've had garlic?" she asked, an uneasy look forming on her face.

"Here." He extended a wrapped piece of gum to her. "It's spearmint. Works like a charm, I promise."

She smiled, popping the stick into her mouth, allowing the mint to cool her down.

On the ride home, Carl told Emma stories from the office—one kid had bit his finger, even drawing blood. It was refreshing, hearing about someone else's place of work, for a chance. Carl didn't fall into her every day pattern, and oddly enough, she found that she liked it.

Pulling up to her condo, Carl parked in front, so he could walk her to the porch. They stopped in front of the door, a happy sigh escaping Emma's lips.

"Thank you, Carl. I had a really, really great time," she said, smiling.

"Me too," he said, quietly. She glanced back and forth a few times, the smile never leaving her face. He leaned in a bit. "You know, Emma…" he said, with intrigue. "I spend all this time around your mouth, and yet, there's still one thing I've always wanted to do…"

"Oh? What's that?" she said, grinning. Emma was pretty sure she had an idea, but she didn't want to be presumptuous. And she couldn't deny that she appreciated the romantic cheesiness of the situation.

"This…" His fingers grazed the side of her face, for a moment, as he held her gaze, before he cupped her cheek with his hand, tilting her chin forward. Her eyes shut, as he moved in. His mouth caught hers at the perfect angle; his lips moving flawlessly, over her own.

It had been anticipated, yet she didn't expect it would completely take her breath away. "Wow…" she gasped, moments after they parted. "You do really good work."

They both laughed, a bit, smiling at one another.

"I'd like to see you again, Emma. Preferably before another three months," Carl said, grinning.

"How's tomorrow night?" Emma replied, confidently, returning a smile, bigger than ever.

"Great," he answered.

She watched him go, before stepping inside.

Perhaps her heart was finally getting the opportunity to figure out what it wants, after all.


End file.
